CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1    BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The online food ordering system is one of the latest servicers most fast food restaurants in the western world are adopting. With this method, food is ordered online and delivered to the customer. This is made possible through the use of electronic payment system. Customers pay with their credit cards, although credit card customers can be served even before they make payment either through cash or cheque. So, the system designed in this project will enable customers go online and place order for their food.
Due to the great increase in the awareness of internet and the technologies associated with it, several opportunities are coming up on the web. So many businesses and companies now venture into their business with ease because of the internet. One of such business that the internet introduced is an online food ordering system. In today’s age of fast food and take out, many restaurants have chosen to focus on quick preparation and speedy delivery of orders rather than offering a rich dining experience. Until recently, most of this delivery orders were placed over the phone, but there are many disadvantages to this system.
It is possible for anybody to order any goods via the internet and have the goods delivered at his/her doorsteps. But while trying to discuss the transfer method of the goods and services, attention is focused on the payment mode. In other words, how possible is it to pay for goods and services via the internet? This then leads to the discussion of the economic consequences of digital cash. What are the implementations from the view point of economic? Since the world is fast becoming a global village, the necessary tool for this process is communication of which telecommunication is a key player. A major breakthrough is the wireless telephone system which comes in either fixed wireless telephone lines or the Global System of Mobile communication (GSM).
What I propose is an online ordering system originally designed for use in college cafeterias, but just as applicable in any food delivery industry. The main advantage of this system is that it greatly simplifies the ordering process for both the customer and the restaurant. The system also greatly lightens the load on the restaurants end, as the entire process of taking orders is automated. Once an order is placed on the webpage that will be designed, it is placed into the database and then retrieved, in pretty much real-time, by a desktop application on the restaurants end. Within this application, all items in the order are displayed, along with their corresponding options and delivery details, in a concise and easy to read manner. This allows the restaurant employees to quickly go through the orders as they are placed and produce the necessary items with minimal delay and confusion. The greatest advantage of this system is its FLEXIBILITY.
1.2    STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
As industries are fast expanding, people are seeking for more ways to purchase products with much ease and still maintain cost effectiveness. The vendors need to purchase the products in order to sell to end users. The manual method of going to their local food sales outlets to purchase food is becoming obsolete and more tasking. Food can be ordered through the internet and payment made without going to the restaurant or the food vendor. So there is need for a wide range of publicity and enabling direct order, processing and delivering of food through online system. For this system, there will be a system administrator who will have the rights to enter the menu with current prevailing prices.
1.3    OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
This study lays out a framework for a new system to be developed and brought to the market for maximum use and to create an avenue through the web where users can log on to our server and make a selection of whatever goods or food they like and subsequently pay via the internet. The following are the objectives this would bring:
1.    The home page of this web interfile provides an avenue where customers will be able to gather more and reliable information about what the fast food industry really does.
2.    The products and services offered would provide the customers with all the different categories of available products that they can choose and select from.
3.    This will provide a user friendly environment between the customer and employee thus increasing the efficiency of the food ordering system.
4.    There will also be an online purchase form with which valued customers will be using to get in touch with any of their request whenever the need arises.
5.    It will also help for easy retrieval of orders made by the customers.